Chapter 3
I turned one.
My body was growing steadily.
As a result of continually circulating mana throughout my body, my muscles and nerves had developed far beyond normal.
I could walk, too.
And talk, too.
I decided to act like a child prodigy.
There was no need to hide it.
In fact, it would be more convenient in many ways to be treated as a "smart child."
That said, I was still a baby.
Growing required nutrition.
What I'm getting at is—I was currently being breastfed.
As I drank my mother's milk, I quietly circulated mana.
I had only one goal: to improve the quality of her milk.
To that end, I kept my mother healthy.
I used magic to improve her circulation and ease her fatigue.
You could call it a give-and-take.
"Burp."
Satisfied, I let out a little burp.
Now then.
Once nursing was over, it was time for questions.
"Mom, what's this?"
I pointed to the tool on the shelf.
My mother smiled warmly.
"Hehe, Noah, you're so curious."
"Yeah. What's this?"
"That's... a tool for grinding grain."
"Grinding?"
"You grind it into flour, then use it to make bread."
"I see."
I nodded and moved on to the next question.
My mother happily answered every time.
At this rate, I kept learning more and more words.
For a one-year-old, it was clearly abnormal.
Even so, my parents were happy.
"Noah, you're such a clever boy."
My mother gently stroked my head.
"Maybe you'll be able to go to school in town someday."
My father looked happy, too.
"I'm glad you're growing up to be such a smart boy."
His voice was tinged with pride.
There was no ulterior motive.
No calculation.
They were simply happy that their son was smart.
They were nothing like my uncle and aunt in my previous life.
They'd actually disliked the fact that I was smart.
They resented me for reading medical books, understanding my condition, and seeing through their schemes.
These parents were different.
They were genuinely happy to see me grow.
—Maybe I could trust these parents.
I decided to conduct an experiment.
That afternoon, I was playing in the yard.
My father was tilling the field, while my mother cooked inside.
I deliberately tripped over a stone.
I struck the ground.
My knee was scraped, and blood began to seep out.
It hurt, but compared to the pain I'd endured on my sickbed in my previous life, it was trivial.
"It hurts."
I cried out.
My mother rushed over and reached out to pick me up.
Before her hand could reach me.
I placed a hand on my knee and let mana flow.
I stimulated my cells with mana and healed the wound.
A faint light enveloped my knee, and the wound vanished before my eyes.
"Noah!?"
My mother's voice trembled.
Her hands, reaching to pick me up, froze, and she stood there in shock.
"That light just now..."
Just as I expected.
I looked up at my mother innocently.
"Mom, it doesn't hurt anymore."
My mother's face paled.
"What did you...?"
At that moment, my father came running over, too.
"What happened?"
"Noah... Noah used magic..."
My mother's voice was trembling.
My father said nothing, merely looking down at my knee.
The only thing showing that there had been a wound was a faint smear of blood on my smooth knee.
"Could it be... Light Magic?"
My father's voice dropped.
My mother didn't answer. Her arms tightened around me, and her hands trembled slightly.
Ah, this was fear.
Not joy.
Not surprise.
Pure fear.
"Noah, don't show that to anyone."
My father looked at me with a serious expression.
"Why?"
I asked innocently, pretending I knew nothing.
My mother answered in a tearful voice.
"Light Magic is a very special kind of magic."
—Light Magic?
Was healing magic Light Magic? Was Life Magic unknown?
"It's a sacred power that only priests can use."
My mother continued.
"If the church finds out, this child..."
"I know."
My father stopped her.
"But Noah needs to understand."
Saying that, my father looked me in the eye.
"Children who can use Light Magic are taken to the church. They can't stay in the village."
My mother hugged me tightly.
"Once they take you, you won't be able to come back easily. So please... don't tell anyone what happened."
Her voice trembled.
Tears fell onto my head.
I see.
My information-gathering had succeeded.
Healing magic was a special power, monopolized by the church.
People who could use it were rare, and children with the talent were forcibly taken away.
Life Magic was unknown.
I nodded.
"Okay. I won't show anyone."
My mother's arms suddenly relaxed.
"What a good boy."
My father's expression finally softened, too.
I'd keep it hidden for the time being.
I only needed to reassure my parents.
But eventually, the opportunity to use it would come.
Until then, I would build up my strength.
The sun set.
Night came early in the farming village. Silence enveloped the area.
I circulated mana in my cradle and listened to the voices coming from the next room.
"Dear, about Noah's magic..."
It was my mother's voice.
It sounded much weaker than it had during the day.
"It was Light Magic after all, wasn't it?"
A brief silence.
"If the church finds out..."
My mother's voice trembled.
"...They'll take him away."
My father answered in a low voice.
"Noah's only one year old..."
I sensed her holding back a sob.
After a while, my father spoke quietly.
"Noah's clever. He promised us—he won't use it in front of anyone."
"...Yes. I'm sure it'll be all right."
The tension eased a little.
"But..."
My mother spoke quietly.
"Noah really is such a mysterious child. He's only one year old, yet he understands so much... and he can even use magic..."
My father continued.
"Maybe he's a gift from God."
Pride and unease mingled in his words.
"Someday, he might grow beyond our reach."
My father let out a quiet breath.
"When that happens, let's let Noah do as he wishes."
"...Yes. But not now."
"Noah is our precious child."
Silence returned.
In my cradle, I closed my eyes.